Chilean President Gabriel Boric pledged to continue supporting "the process of achieving peace (in Ukraine) and preventing other conflicts" and called for Kyiv-Moscow negotiations in his remarks on June 16 following the global peace summit in Switzerland.
Chile is one of the 80 countries that signed the joint communique of the summit, which calls to stop the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, release all prisoners of war, and return all deported Ukrainian children, among other things.
Boric delivered his statement alongside the heads of Switzerland, EU, Ukraine, Canada and Ghana on the second day of the event, which gathered representatives of around 100 countries and organizations to discuss a possible way toward peace in Ukraine.
"This summit is not about NATO, not about right or left political ideas, not about northern or southern countries, this is about respect of international law and human rights, foundational principles of living together," said Boric.
"This is applicable in Ukraine, in Gaza, and in any other conflict in the world."
Andrea Januta
In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up its efforts to gain more support from the countries of the so-called Global South amid controversy surrounding the Israel-Hamas war and to counter Russian disinformation campaigns.
According to the U.S. State Department, the Kremlin has worked with media companies "to undermine support for Ukraine" in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and other Latin American countries.
In his June 16 statement, the Chilean president also called to take "urgent actions" to protect Ukrainian civilians, including children, thousands of whom have been abducted by Russia.
"We aspire that Russia and Ukraine soon engage in dialogue with respect to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, international law, and a firm commitment to human rights as a fundamental standard," Boric added.
The focus of the peace summit in Switzerland was Ukraine's peace formula, a 10-point plan that calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. The Kremlin has rejected the proposal, with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying Moscow would only enter negotiations if Ukraine withdraws forces from Russian-occupied regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during the summit that Ukraine plans to invite Russia to a second global peace summit, after forming an action plan with other participants.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr.
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